HARTFORD, Conn. - Western Michigan racked up 490 yards, including a school record
479 yards passing, in its 38-31 win over defending Big East champion
Connecticut on Saturday evening.
Western Michigan threw the ball 51 times with Alex Carder
completing 72.5 percent of those attempts en route to the program's fourth win
over a team from a BCS automatic qualifying conference under head coach Bill
Cubit. It also marks the first win over
a team from the Big East in program history.
Even though WMU has two wins over Louisville, those games were played
prior to the Cardinals joining the Big East in 2005.
Carder found seven different receivers but Jordan White, Chleb
Ravenell and Robert Arnheim were the go-to guys as each went over 100 yards
receiving. It was the first time that
happened since 2008 at Central Michigan.
White finished with 12 catches for 173, while Arnheim set new career
highs in yards (113) and catches (10).
Ravenell set a new career high in catches (9) and yards (123) as well.
Despite all of the gaudy aerial numbers, it was a defensive play
that sealed things for the Broncos. With
WMU leading 38-31 and less than a minute on the clock, UConn's Ryan Griffin
hauled in a pass for 28 yards down to the WMU 13 yard line. Rontavious Atkins not only stripped the ball
but came up with the recovery as well, before he ever hit the ground.
It was the one big take away that WMU needed on a night that saw a
pair of interceptions go in and out of Bronco hands.
The Broncos took its final lead on a two-play drive that lasted
just 28 seconds, WMU's second sub-minute drive of the season. After UConn kicked the ball out of bounds and
Western Michigan started at its own 40, Carder found White over the middle for
19 yards. Ravenell was the target on
the second play but the defender had perfect position. Ravenell went up over the corner back, hauled
in the catch and stayed on his feet, going 41 yards for the winning score.
It was one of two acrobatic catches Ravenell had tonight, with
another going for a first down after being deflected at the line of scrimmage.
Arnheim, who hauled in yet another one-handed grab along the
sidelines, had his first 100-yard receiving game since 2009 against Central
Michigan, and the third of his career.
White had two TDs in a game for the sixth time in his career and Carder
had five TD passes for the second time in his career.
Defensively, the guys came to play, recording five pass break ups
and a pair of sacks as well as six tackles for loss. Doug Wiggins and Justin Currie each had their
hands on interceptions and Johnnie Simon batted a ball up in the air at the
line of scrimmage.
Mitch Zajac led the Broncos with nine stops and a TFL. Aaron Winchester, Demetrius Pettway and Drew
Nowak all had seven stops and 2.5 TFLs among them.
WMU jumped out to a 14-0 first half lead on TD passes to White and
Dallas Walker in the second quarter. The
Broncos took a 17-7 lead into halftime on a 39-yard John Potter field
goal. Connecticut scored 10 in the third
quarter to tie the game at 17 and took its first and only lead on a Johnny
McIntee to Lyle McCombs 26-yard pass in the fourth quarter.
The Huskies were held scoreless in the first quarter, making them
one of four WMU opponents to not score a first quarter point this season. WMU is outscoring the opposition, 38-7, in
first quarters this year.
There was 941 yards of offense between WMU and Connecticut with
McIntee throwing for 300 yards and McCombs rushing for 136. Kashif Moore had eight catches for 112 yards.
Western Michigan returns to Mid-American Conference play on Oct. 8
for Homecoming against Bowling Green, at 2 p.m.
The game will air on SportsTime Ohio and will stream on
www.wmubroncos.com.